Make no mistake: Keeping your mind clear and preventing cognitive conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s can be accomplished in numerous ways. Social engagement and involvement in the workforce are among the most notable. Whatever methods are used to deal with cognitive decline, however, keeping your hearing strong and using hearing aids if you need them will be immensely helpful.
Many studies show that the conditions listed above are all linked to neglected hearing loss. This article will outline the connection between cognitive decline and hearing loss and how wearing hearing aids can reduce the likelihood of these conditions becoming an impending issue.
How Hearing Loss Contributes to Cognitive Decline
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have conducted several studies over the years to analyze the link between hearing loss and cognitive decline. The same story was revealed by each study: individuals with hearing loss suffered from dementia and cognitive decline in higher rates than those without. In fact, one study revealed that individuals with hearing loss were 24% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those with healthy hearing.
Hearing loss alone does not cause dementia, but there is a link between the two conditions. When you can’t properly process sound your brain has to work overtime according to leading theories. That means that activities like cognition and memory, which require more energy, can’t function at full capacity because your brain has to use so much of that energy on more simple tasks.
Your mental health can also be significantly affected by hearing loss. Research has shown that hearing loss is linked to depression, social isolation, anxiety, and may even affect schizophrenia. Remaining socially active, as mentioned, is the best way to safeguard your mental health and preserve your cognitive clarity. In many instances, hearing loss causes people to feel self-conscious out in public, which means they’ll turn to isolation instead. The lack of human contact can cause the other mental health problems mentioned above and potentially lead to cognitive impairments.
How a Hearing Aid Can Help You Keep Your Resolution
Hearing aids are perhaps one of the best tools we have to preserve mental sharpness and combat disorders like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The problem is that only one out of seven of the millions of people 50 or older who suffer from hearing loss actually wear a hearing aid. People may steer clear of hearing aids because they’ve had a negative experience in the past or perhaps they have some kind of stigma, but in fact, hearing aids have been shown to help people protect their cognitive function by helping them hear better.
There are situations where specific sounds will have to be relearned because they’ve been forgotten after extended hearing damage. It’s important to let your brain get back to processing more important tasks and hearing aids can do just that by stopping this issue in the first place and helping you relearn any sounds the brain has forgotten.
Contact us right away to learn what options are available to help you start hearing better in this decade and beyond.